The increasing availability and continued development of Digital Libraries raises concerns about the loss of direct interaction between the users and the managers of a collection as well as loss of contact between the users of the collection.

A new effort within an established Digital Library research program is needed to address concerns about the loss of social interaction in the larger, more complex Digital Libraries and networked information systems now being developed.

The Interspace Prototype is being designed to provide direct support for community, collaboration, and communication within a large, complex networked information system. The prototype draws upon and extends previous work from Library and Information Science (LIS) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).